Laterally movable doors for railway freight cars



Oct. 9, 1956 w; A. BEAUCHAMP 2,765,501

LATERALLY MOVABLE DOORS FOR RAILWAY FREIGHT CARS Filed Sept. 1, 1955 's Sheets-Sheet 1 -/A/l/EA/ TOE-- W/L FEED 19 55a UCHGMP 4,9 ry-U Oct. 9, 1956 w. A. BEAUCHAMP 2,765,501

LATERALLY MOVABLE DOORS FOR RAILWAY FREIGHT CARS 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 2 Fi led Sept. 1, 1953 llllluilullllllul III I II IIII QI -I "VA/VENTOE-v, W/LFEED H BEQUCHHMR @f- W (4% 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W.VA. BEAUCHAMP LATERALLY MOVABLE DOORS FOR RAILWAY FREIGHT CARS F1 led s t. 1, 1953 Oct. 9, 1956 LATERALLY MOVABLE DOORS FOR RAILWAY FREIGHT CARS Wilfred A. Beauchamp, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 1, 1953, Serial No. 377,832 9 Claims. (Cl. 2023) This invention relates to laterally movable doors for railway freight cars and more particularly to means for resisting outward bulging of the doors by forces set up by the shifting of the lading in the cars.

It is an object of this invention to provide means adapted to be carried by laterally movable doors for railway freight cars which shall be operable to engage the door posts of the cars so as to resist forces acting against the doors and tending to bulge them outwardly.

A further object is to provide means adapted to be carried by laterally movable doors for railway freight cars which shall automatically engage the door posts of the cars as the doors are moved laterally into closed position so as to resist forces acting against the doors and tending to bulge them outwardly.

A further object is to provide means adapted to be carried by laterally movable doors for railway freight cars wherein the doors are equipped with mechanism for imparting lateral movement thereto and the means are so constructed and associated with the door mechanism as to be operable thereby upon actuating of the mechanism.

A further object is to provide means adapted to be carried by laterally movable doors for railway freight cars which shall be operable to engage the door posts of the cars so as to resist forces acting against the doors and tending to bulge them outwardly wherein the means is so constructed as to substantially eliminate the danger of fouling thereof against the door posts.

A further object is to provide means adapted to be carried by laterally movable doors for railway freight cars which shall be operable to engage the door posts of the cars so as to resist forces acting against the doors and tending to bulge them outwardly wherein the means is so constructed as to offer minimum resistance to lateral movement of the doors when they are being opened. I

A further object is to provide means adapted to be carried by laterally movable doors for railway freight cars which shall be operable to engage the door posts of the cars so as to resist forces acting against the doors and tending to bulge them outwardly wherein the means shall embody sliding members and shall be so constructed as to prevent rotation of these members by such forces.

A further object is to provide means adapted to be carried by laterally movable doors for railway freight cars which shall be operable to engage the door posts of the cars so as to resist forces acting against the doors and tending to bulge them outwardly wherein the means shall embody sliding members and shall be so constructed as to prevent rotation of these members by such forces and limit the projection of the members.

Other objects of the invention will become clear as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a refrigerator car including a laterally movable door embodying the instant invention, the door being closed.

States Patent Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 2 with the door in partly closed position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 4 with the door in open position.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end view of the door showing the instant invention.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 77 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a portion of the side wall of a refrigerator car used to show the invention. The side wall 10 embodies front and rear door posts 11 and 12 which define the width of a door opening 13 formed in the car side 10. The door posts 11 and 12 are formed in part by metallic Z-shaped members 14 and 15 which are coped as indicated at 16 and 17. Keepers 18 and 19 of similar construction are rigidly secured as by means of welding to the Z-shaped door post members 14 and 15 at the copes provided therein. The keepers 18 and 19 extend across the copes in the door post members so as to compensate for the loss of strength of these members resulting from the copes. The keepers 18 and 19 are recessed as indicated at 20 and 21 in order to receive the projecting portions of sliding bolts as hereinafter described.

A laterally movable and longitudinally slidably door 22, which may be of any desired or well known construction, is utilized to close the door opening 13 formed in the car side It). To impart lateral movement to the door toward and away from the door opening and to support the door for longitudinal movement upon a track fastened to the carside below the door opening the mechanism fully described and claimed in applicants copending application Serial No. 165,512, filed June 1, 1950, now Patent No. 2,658,243, granted November 10, 1953, is utilized. The construction of the mechanism of the above identified application which is incorporated herein by reference need therefore be described only briefly.

This mechanism embodies two vertically disposed rods 23 and 24 rotatably mounted upon the door 22 and provided at their lower ends with cranks 25 and 26 journalled in roller carriages 27 and 28 which are movable along a track 29 secured to the car side. The construction at the upper ends of the rotatable rods 23 and 24 is fully disclosed in applicants above identified application.

Rotation is imparted to the rods 23 and 24 by means of downwardly inclined levers 30 and 31 pivotally secured to the rods for vertical swinging movement. The adjacent ends of the levers 30 and 31 are adapted to be received within a follower 32 mounted for laterally slidable movement within a bracket 33 secured to the door and a screw member 34 threaded into the bracket 33. A double-handled lever 35 is welded to the screw member 34 for imparting rotation thereto. The lever 35 is rotatably interlocked with the follower 32 as is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings so that rotation of the lever and lateral movement of the screw member 34 will impart lateral movement to the follower.

For the purposes of the instant invention the mechanism disclosed in applicants above identified application is modified. The bracket 33 is provided with spaced pairs of outwardly extending horizontal flanges 36 and 37 and 38 and 39. Fins 40 and 41 extend between and are secured to the pairs of flanges and serve to pivotally secure members 42 and 43 between these pairs of flanges. The members 42 and 43 are similar in construction but oppositely arranged as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Their construction is more clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings from which it will be seen that the members embody spaced upper and lower horizontally disposed walls 44 and 45 connected by an outer wall 46.

The follower 32 is also modified for the purposes of the instant invention. It is formed with spaced downwardly extending cylindrical portions 47 and 48 which project into slots 49 and 50 formed in the upper walls 44 of the members 42 and 43.

The member 42 is pivotally connected as shown at 51 to a connecting bar 52. The member 43 is similarly pivotally connected as shown at 53 to a connecting bar 54. In turn the remote ends of the connecting bars 52 and 54 are secured as by means of rivets to sliding bolts 55 and 56.

The bolts 55 and 56 are identical in construction so that the description of one of them will suffice for the other. As is shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings the bolt 55 is substantially Z-shaped in cross section so as to provide a flange 57 lying outwardly of the door by means of which the bolt is secured as by means of rivets to the connecting bar 52. The sliding bolt 55 has an inwardly otfset flange 58 and a forwardly projecting flange 59. To receive the flanges 58 and 59 the edge of the door 22 is recessed as indicated at 60. A bolt retaining bracket 61, preferably in the form of a casting, is secured as by means of riveting upon the door. The retaining bracket 61 is offset inwardly as indicated at 62 so as to lie within the recess 60 formed in the door and to provide a portion within which the flanges 58 and 59 of the bolts can slide.

The bracket 61 is formed with a vertically extending bar 63 which is spaced from the inwardly offset portion 62 of the bracket. The forwardly projecting flange 59 of the sliding bolt 55 is disposed between the inwardly offset portion 62 and the bar 63 so that the latter serves to retain the sliding bolt upon the door. In addition the bracket 61 is provided with upper and lower substantially horizontal reinforcing ribs 64 and 65 which carry spaced lugs 66 and 67 extending downwardly and upwardly respectively. As is shown more clearly in Fig. 7 of the drawings the lugs 66 and 67 overlap the sliding bolt 55 thereby helping to retain the bolt upon the casting 61 and preventing rotation of the bolt outwardly about the bar 63 when the door is subjected to forces tending to bulge it outwardly. The lugs 66 and 67 also serve by cooperation with alined projections 68 and 69 formed on the bolt 55 to limit the projection of the bolt beyond the edge of the door.

The inner face 70 of the outer wall 71 of the keeper 18 with which the sliding bolt 52 cooperates when it is in projected position slopes outwardly and rearwardly as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The outer edge of the flange 59 of the bolt 55 is formed with a similarly sloping surface 72 and an intersecting inwardly and rearwardly sloping surface 73 so that the outermost portion of the bolt is in the form of a thin edge. By the indicated construction of the keeper 18 and the flange 59 of the bolt danger of fouling of the bolt against the keeper as the bolt is being projected into the recess 20 of the keeper is greatly minimized. Moreover, in the event that the door has been bulged outwardly by force imposed thereon by shifting of the lading within the car the resulting contact between the sloping faces 70 and 72 will not interfere with the ease of retraction of the bolt and hence the ease of operation of the door mechanism since the least movement of the bolt horizontally will effect disengagement between the bolt and the keeper.

The operation of the sliding bolts 55 and 56 will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. When the door is in the closed position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings the bolts will be spaced from the keepers as is shown in this view. However, should the lading within the car shift so as to bear against and bulge the door outwardly contact will be established between the bolts 55 and 56 and the keepers 18 and 19 so as to resist the tendency of the door to bulge. Assuming that such contact between the bolts and the keepers has occurred and it is desired to open the door, the double handled lever 35 will be released from its latch and will be rotated in counter-clockwise direction. Rotation is thus imparted to the screw member 34 which moves laterally away from the door. Similar movement occurs in the double handled lever 35 and because of its interlocking relationship with the follower 32 the latter will slide laterally away from the door.

By reason of the engagement of the cylindrical members 47 and 48 carried by the follower and the slotted portions of the members 42 and 43 which are pivotally secured between the pairs of flanges 36 and 37 and 38 and 39 formed on the bracket 33 the lateral movement of the follower will swing the members 42 and 43 outwardly. This movement of the members 42 and 43 by reason of the pivotal connections between them and the connecting bars 52 and 54 will cause these bars to move toward each other so as to retract the sliding bolts 55 and 56 from their keepers.

When the lever 35 has been rotated clockwise as far as it will go, the bolts 55 and 56 will be fully retracted but the door will not have been moved completely out of the door opening. During the lateral movement of the follower 32 the levers 30 and 31 which are seated within the follower have been moved outwardly thereby imparting rotation to the rods 23 and 24 and outward movement to the door about the lower cranks 25 and 26 and upper cranks provided at the upper ends of the rods 23 and 24. When the rotation of the lever 35 has been arrested the levers 30 and 31 are lifted out of the follower and swung in opposite directions so as to further rotate the rods 23 and 24 and complete the lateral movement of the door out of the door opening. The door may then be moved longitudinally upon the track by means of the roller carriages 27 and 28 so as to completely uncover the door opening.

When it is desired to close the door it is moved along the track until it lies in front of the door opening. The levers 30 and 31 are then swung toward each other thereby moving the door laterally partway into the door opening as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The levers 30 and 31 are then seated in the follower 32.

During this operation of the levers 30 and 31 no movement is imparted to the bolts 55 and 56 which at the end of such operation are in the position relative to the keepers 18 and 19 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. To complete the movement of the door into the door opening the lever 35 is rotated in clockwise direction so as to thread the screw member into the door and impart lateral movement to the follower toward the door. This movement of the follower causes swinging movement of the members 42 and 43 and horizontal movement of the connecting bars 52 and 54 away from one another. This movement of the connecting bars projects the bolts 55 and 56 into their respective keepers thereby locking the door and offering resistance to outward bulging of the door in the event that the lading within the car should shift.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description of the door mechanism and the locking mechanism for the door that the operation of the latter occurs automatically in response to the operation of the former. The possibility of jamming of the bolts 55 and 56 has been reduced to a minimum and the release or retraction of the bolts even in the event that the door is bulged will offer little, if any, resistance to the operation of the door mechanism.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprehended within this invention which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a laterally movable door for railway cars carrying mechanism for imparting lateral movement thereto toward and away from a door opening in a said car which includes a bracket secured to said door, a member slidable laterally on said bracket, and means for imparting sliding movement to said member, pairs of vertically spaced flanges extending from said bracket, spaced members pivotally mounted between said pairs of flanges for horizontal swinging movement, means pivotally and slidably connecting said slidable member with said spaced members, locking bolts on said door adjacent to the vertical edges thereof, brackets on said door slidably retaining said bolts for projection beyond said edges of said door, and bars extending between said spaced members and said locking bolts, the adjacent ends of said bars being pivotally connected to said spaced members, the remote ends of said bars being secured to said locking bolts.

2. In a laterally movable door for railway cars carrying mechanism for imparting lateral movement thereto toward and away from a door opening in a said car which includes a threaded bracket secured to the door, a member threaded into the bracket, a laterally movable follower slidable upon said threaded member, and a lever secured to said threaded member for imparting rotation thereto, the lever having rotatable interlocking engagement with the follower for imparting lateral movement thereto; pairs of vertically spaced flanges extending from said bracket, spaced members pivotally mounted between said pairs of flanges for horizontal swinging movement, means pivotally and slidably connecting said follower with said spaced members, locking bolts on said door adjacent to the vertical edges thereof, brackets on said door slidably retaining said bolts for projection beyond said edges of said door, and bars extending between said spaced members and said locking bolts, the adjacent ends of said bars being pivotally connected to said spaced members, the remote ends of said bars being secured to said locking bolts.

3. A laterally movable door for railway cars comprising mechanism for imparting lateral movement thereto toward and away from a door opening in a said car, said mechanism embodying a laterally slidable member and means for imparting sliding movement to said member, spaced members pivotally mounted on said door for horizontal swinging movement, means pivotally and slidably connecting said laterally movable member with said spaced members, locking bolts on said door adjacent to the vertical edges thereof, brackets on said door slidably retaining said bolts for projection beyond said edges of said door, and bars extending between said spaced members and said locking bolts, the adjacent ends of said bars being pivotally connected to said spaced members, the remote ends of said bars being secured to said locking bolts.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3 wherein portions of the door adjacent to the vertical edges thereof are rabbeted, portions of the bolt retaining brackets are offset inwardly and seated in said rabbeted portions and are provided with vertical bars spaced outwardly from said offset portions, and the projecting portions of said locking bolts are similarly inwardly offset to lie in the oifset portions of the bolt retaining brackets and behind said vertical bars.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4 wherein said bolt retaining brackets are provided with vertically spaced lugs beyond said inwardly offset portions which overlap said locking bolts.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5 wherein said looking bolts are provided with vertically spaced projections alined horizontally with said lugs and said lugs are disposed between said vertical bars of said bolt retaining brackets and said projections.

7. In a railway car having door posts defining the vertical edges of a door opening, a laterally movable door, mechanism on said door for imparting lateral movement thereto toward and away from the door opening, said mechanism embodying a laterally slidable member and means for imparting sliding movement to said member, spaced members pivotally mounted on said door for horizontal swinging movement, means pivotally and slidably connecting said lateral-ly movable member with said spaced members, locking-bolts on said door adjacent to the vertical edges thereof, brackets on said door slidably retaining said bolts for projection beyond said edges of said door, and bars extending between said spaced members and said locking bolts, the adjacent ends of said bars being pivotally connected to said spaced members, the remote ends of said bars being secured to said locking bolts, keepers carried by said posts, recesses in said keepers adapted to receive said locking bolts, said locking bolts being engageable with the outer wall of said recess to resist outward bulging of said doors, said outer wall of said recess and said locking bolts having outwardly and rearwardly sloping engageable faces.

8. In a railway car having door posts defining the vertical edges of a door opening, a laterally movable door, mechanism on said door for imparting lateral movement thereto toward and away from the door opening, said mechanism embodying a laterally slidable member and means for imparting sliding movement to said member, spaced members pivotally mounted on said door for horizontal swinging movement, means pivotally and slidably connecting said laterally movable member with said spaced members, locking-bolts on said door adjacent to the vertical edges thereof, brackets on said door slidably retaining said bolts for projection beyond said edges of said door, and bars extending between said spaced members and said locking bolts, the adjacent ends of said bars being pivotally connected to said spaced members, the remote ends of said bars being secured to said locking bolts, keepers carried by said posts, recesses in said keepers adapted to receive said locking bolts, said locking bolts being engageable with the outer wall of said recess to resist outward bulging of said doors, said outer wall of said recess and said locking bolts having outwardly and rearwardly sloping engageable faces, said locking bolts also having an inwardly and rearwardly sloping face substantially intersecting the first mentioned face of said lock- .ing bolts.

9. In a railway car having door posts defining the vertical edges of a door opening, a laterally movable door, mechanism on said door for imparting lateral movement thereto toward and away from the door opening, said mechanism embodying a laterally slidable member and means for imparting sliding movement to said member, spaced members pivotally mounted on said door for horizontal swinging movement, means pivotally and slidably connecting said laterally movable member with said spaced members, locking bolts on said door adjacent to the vertical edges thereof, brackets on said door slidably retaining said bolts for projection beyond said edges of said door, and bars extending between said spaced members and said locking bolts, the adjacent ends of said bars being pivotally connected to said spaced members, the remote ends of said bars being secured to said locking bolts, openings formed in said door posts, keepers secured to said door posts around said openings, a recess formed in said keepers, said recess having an outer wall projecting through said opening toward the door opening, said outer Wall having an outer face parallel to said door and an inner face which slopes outwardly and rearwardly and substantially intersects said outer face, said locking bolts having an outwardly and rearwardly sloping face engageable with the inner face of said outer wall of said recess, said 7 locking bolts also having an inwardly and rearwardly slop- 2,219,137 ing face substantially intersecting the first mentioned face 2,550,040 of said locking bolts. 2,591,412 2,605,5 15

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,416,308 Silverman et a1 May 16, 1922 8 Moon Oct. 22, 1940 Clar Apr. 24, 1951 Ditchfield Apr. 1, 1952 Beauchamp Aug. 5, 1952 

